"I am but a simple purveyor of words. A story teller one might say. For the right number of coins, I shall create you a world of your very own, where you will be hailed as its hero, its ruler….its god. Cross me, however, and you shall be cast down as its villain, the lowest of creatures. Your final fate will be most befitting…and unfortunate." - Michael L. Turner

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Before I
start, I'd like to thank Michael for inviting me here to his blog. I am
relaunching my Artesans of Albia fantasy series now that the first trilogy is
complete (yes, first - there are two more trilogies to come!) and I hope you
will take advantage of the special offer prices that are available from 12 - 19
December, while this blog tour lasts. Links below! And don't forget the
Giveaway - you could win all 3 of my books, both signed print copies and
e-books, plus all the books in the BookBlast!

Where I Find Inspiration.

People are
always asking where I find the inspiration for writing fantasy novels. I have
mentioned many times in other blog posts how the initial idea for the series
came about (if you don't know, it was from watching a kids' 1970s TV program
called 'Tarot - Ace of Wands), so I'm
not going to ressurrect that theme here. I always find it fascinating to read where other
writers get their ideas, so here are a few of mine.

I own two
rescue dogs, Milly and Milo. They are technically Lurchers. Milly, we believe,
is Whippet/Border Collie cross (you can't see the Collie, it's in her brain -
she looks like a golden Whippet) and we believe Milo to be a Short-Haired
Saluki (according to a retired dog show judge who lives in our village). What
has this to do with inspiration for writing, I hear you ask? Well, I find
walking a great way to clear the mind, and when my mind is clear, all sorts of
weird things pop into it. When I began writing my Artesans series, many of the
ideas for the plot came to me while out walking in the woods. I found this
extremely frustrating at first, until I learned to carry a notepad and pencil!

We live in
the North Hampshire countryside in southern UK. It is mainly farmland, with a
few copses and small woods. There is plently of wildlife - pheasants and other
game birds (put there for the farmers to shoot, poor little things), badgers,
rabbits, deer, and foxes. In the winter, if we get snow, I love tracking these
animals by their footprints. If you look with an artist's eye, you can see
patterns and even messages written across the white pages that the snow creates
out of the fields. How could you not be inspired by such sights? Sometimes I
wish I were a poet - our landscape would have me writing endlessly.

My Artesans
of Albia fantasy series has songs associated with it. There is a song for each
of the books currently published, and I'm now working on the music for Book 4,
which will be published in Spring 2014. Because the "magic" system in
Artesans is nature-based (my Artesans channel the elements through their own
souls and life forces), I found plenty of inspiration for these songs by
walking around our local lanes, woods, and fields. Natural music is all around
us, you simply need receptive eyes and hears to be aware of it. We are also on
the top of a hill, and Nature's elements often make themselves felt - even when
you wish they wouldn't!

Farmers
are, by necessity, practical people, and I think it would be quite reasonable
to view farmyards as generally lacking in inspiration for writers of fantasy.
Yet round here, you'd be wrong. I remember the day I went for one of my normal
walks, one that took me past the grain store sheds, the tractor with its
covering of mud, and the long-forgotten, rusty farm implements. Not the kind of
place you'd expect to be suddenly confronted by a stone circle. Yet that's exactly
what happened. There, next to the track leading down to the sheds, stood a
stone circle that definitely hadn't been there the week before.

And it was
beautiful. Some of the stones were upright, some flat on the ground. Some had
holes bored through them, some not. They were different kinds of stone too, and
different colors. It was a wonderful experience, walking around the corner and
seeing this ethereal sight. I remember being captivated by it, and wondering
what had made the farmer do it? The stones werelarge - they would not have been cheap to buy! There is no quarry
nearby, so they had to be transported. I guess the farm tractors would have
been used to 'plant' them, but I'm sure they cost our farmer a portion of his
profits. And he's added to them lately as well - the circle still grows!

So as you
can see, I find our beautiful local landscape a brimming rescource of ideas and
images when I need inspiration.

Artesans of
Albia series synopsis.

On a foolhardy foray into a foreign realm,
Taran Elijah is attacked by a terrible weapon known as the Staff. Killing its
wielder, he escapes into Albia, inadvertantly carrying the Staff.

Concerned by the
vicious raids that follow Taran's actions, Major Sullyan of the High King's
forces crosses into Andaryon to seek diplomatic resolution to the crisis. She
is captured and tortured by Lord Rykan, aspirant to the Andaryon throne.

Slowly dying, Sullyan
escapes his clutches. She offers her skills to the Hierarch in defense of his
throne, finally confronting Rykan on the field of battle.

Her handsome Captain
and lover, Robin Tamsen, embarks on a desperate quest to recover the Staff. But
Rykan's greedy General, Sonten, is two steps ahead of him. If Robin cannot lay
hold of the weapon before Sonten does, Sullyan's life and the lives of all
Artesans are forfeit.

“One of the best
fantasy books I’ve ever read. The balance between background story and action
is just perfect. I’m very glad I found this author. You won’t want to miss this
series!” ~Denyse Cohen, author of Witch’s Soulmate, Book 1 of the
Living Energy Trilogy

“Splendidly written in
a wonderful voice, drew me in immediately. Ms. Peace’s imagination alone gets 5
stars. Spectacular worlds and enchanting scenes. Anyone who enjoys losing
themselves in a world of a charming fantasy with plenty of layers and a host of
intriguing characters won’t be disappointed!” ~Rosary McQuestion, author
of Once Upon Another Time

“As soon as I finished
this book I was eager to start the next. I highly recommend this book. Great
Job!!” ~Janus Gangi, author of Elizabeth Rose and That
Morning After

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cas Peace was born in Hampshire UK, in 1957, and has lived
there most of her life. Her first career was as a horse-riding instructor, and
horses remain very close to her heart. She then spent 13 years working for the
British Civil Service before leaving the UK to live in Italy for three years,
1991-1994. She speaks passable but by no means perfect Italian, and loves to
return to Italy whenever she can.

Cas's other great loves are anything to do with
animals, especially dogs and horses, (she supports many animal charities) and
also singing. Cas loves folk songs and along with her husband, who plays
guitar, has performed in many a Southern England folk club. Sometimes they even
asked her back! She writes folk songs to accompany her fantasy novels, and
offers them as free downloads from her website.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Ian Wilson is the main character in Deception Peak. Once you
read how I came up with him, you’ll know a little bit about the story. Just
read on and see…

Writing a novel is like putting the pieces of a
puzzle together and the most difficult part is the beginning. If you’re like me
you’ll take the border pieces and fit them together first because they’re the
easiest to find. They have flat edges and they frame everything in. Once you
have them in place you can pretty much group the other pieces by color,
patterns and design and get an estimate of where they might fit in the picture.

A novel is pieced together much in the same way. You
have to find the framework. I’ve heard this framework called a plumb line, and
other people call it a premise.Basically, you have to ask yourself the question…what is this story
going to be about?

The way I work, before I can think about who is going
to be in the story, I need to know something about the story.

Deception
Peak is about the
adventures of a boy who is faced with the impossible task of removing a dragon
from a magical world.

There is the framework.

Now that I have the premise, I see that there are at
least three things that have to be created in my story: i.e. the dragon, the
magical world, and the boy.

Now everyone knows that novels need conflict and
tension otherwise we’d have nothing more than a boring piece of text sounding
much like the diary I wrote when I was younger.

Dear Diary,
nothing happened today.

Here
are a few things I took into consideration while creating my main character.

·In order for the story to have a lot of tension, I
knew I couldn’t make the boy a super hero. It’d be too easy. One fight and
wham, you’re out.

·The boy had to come from some place other than the
magical world because I wanted to put some adventure in the story, some
wonders.

·I also wanted to have a boy that my readers can
relate to. A typical teen. No one special.

·Other tension creating dynamics would be a
personality that isn’t used to taking on odd obstacles in his life, like a
dragon.

·Someone who doesn’t ordinarily take risks.

·A homebody who doesn’t normally go traveling into
strange worlds.

·A boy who needs to grow up.

For those who have read Deception Peak, do you see an Ian Wilson
taking shape here?

Ian needed to be different physically too, just to
make things harder for him! And since all the tribes I was creating in the
Realm were based on the physical characteristics of Scandinavian people, Ian
needed to be dark and I chose a young lad with dark bushy hair, Hispanic in
heritage, on his mom’s side.

Ah! I knew just the boy to pose for young Ian’s
illustration--the son of a friend of my daughters’. He was thrilled and was
even invited to play the part of Ian in the first book trailer.

By
the time I figured out who my main character was, I also created some of the
plot line, the events, and the relationships. It was a fun process!

Topping Amazon's Paid Best Sellers list in children's
Sword and Sorcery
Nominated for The Endeavor Award 2012
"Within seconds, the light show vanished and Ian opened one eye. What he
had experienced was not at all what he had expected. No unusual sensations
fizzled through his body. He hadn't felt like he was plummeting in an elevator,
or blasting through space like in a rocket ship. It didn't even feel like he
might be racing down an escape chute on an airplane. No jet sounds, or hums, or
buzzes, rattled in his ears."

And so young Ian Wilson enters the Realm.

The first book of a trilogy, Deception Peak is
a young adult adventure fantasy about a teenager, Ian Wilson, who follows his
father through a portal that magically appears on their computer screen. They
travel into a deceptively beautiful Realm, where horses run free, the wind
sings prophetic melodies, and their computer avatars come to life.

But when the two are separated, Ian is abducted by a tribe
of dragon worshipers and is forced to find his courage. As he struggles for his
freedom and embarks on a perilous search to find his father, Ian meets the true
peacekeepers of the Realm. It's then that he learns there is a greater purpose
for being there.

Book 2 and 3 The Dragon Shield and Rubies and
Robbers are available now!

If you enjoy dragons, sorcery, wizards, magic, legend,
and fantasy adventure, than this series is for you!

Dianne Gardner,
an award winning author, is also an illustrator living in the Pacific
Northwest, USA. She's an active member of the Society of Children's Book
Writers and Illustrators, and the National League of American Pen Women.She is author to The Ian’s Realm Saga, Tales
of the Four Wizards and is currently writing a screenplay of her fourth book Cassandra’s
Castle all published by PDMI publishing.

You can see more of Dianne’s work on her website
http://gardnersart.com

Saturday, October 5, 2013

The old fears are always with
us.They were there at the beginning,
and they will follow us to the end.You
know what I am speaking of.I see it in
your eyes, and you see it too whenever you look in the mirror.You have hidden the memories well as you’ve aged, but a younger part of you
remembers.Thoughts that have been ignored for too long are now screaming to be heard.

You know what you saw.It was the shadows that hid in the corners of
your room, that noise under the bed, the persistent tap at the window, and that
thing in your closest.In these places
they waited, they listened, and they watched.You were right to fear them, but then came the lie with its warm caring
smile.

“There is nothing there.You only imagined it,” both your parents
said.“Go back to bed.It was just a bad dream.”

How many have been blinded by
such comforting words, and were they truly comforting?Those dismissive words echo in the dark
places.The intrusion by those who dwell
in the shadows has been pardoned.The child
is sent back to bed.The young one
will repeat the lie to them self, and tries to forget.The watchers and listeners are pleased.They won’t be rushed, and their time can now
be taken.

Monday, September 30, 2013

At
the turning of the year that time has come again, and we face the setting
sun.While we cling to its last rays of
light, behind us we know the darkness waits.Soon it will beckon us to turn, and that moment we do, there is hope
that we shall see only the dawn.It is a
fleeting hope, for that hour has moved further away as each night draws longer,
and the days are cut short.In this the
darkness finds amusement, and smiles at us.We see its teeth, and we hear the clicking of claws, and then finally
the screams that might be our own.

Rule
#1 – Be afraid of the dark.You have no
idea what’s waiting for you.

Friday, August 16, 2013

There are so many stories that need to be told, and every story must have
its voice. Today you will have the
chance to meet one of those voices, and hopefully fall in love with her work.So, let me not bore you any longer with my simple
words, when hers are left waiting.

Please give a warm welcome to the talented writer and author, Cas Peace!

Author Bio:

Cas Peace
lives in the lovely county of Hampshire, UK, where she was born. On leaving
school she trained for two years before qualifying as horse-riding instructor.
During this time she also learned to carriage-drive. She then spent thirteen
years in the British Civil Service before moving to Rome, Italy, where she and
her husband, Dave, lived for three years. They enjoy returning whenever they
can. As well as working on her writing, Cas loves walking, growing cacti, and
playing the bodhran. She supports many animal charities and owns two rescue
Lurchers, Milly and Milo. She also loves to sing, and is currently writing and
recording nine folk-type songs to accompany each of her fantasy books.

See the
video of her performing ‘The Wheel Will Turn,’ from King’s Envoy, live at the
King’s Envoy book launch in 2011:

All her
songs are available as free downloads from her website: www.caspeace.com

POST:

I first started out as a story-teller at
school. English was my favorite subject, and my imagination had no trouble
coming up with essays for assignments. I was always getting top marks for
writing, which was just as well, because my marks for anything to do with Math
were abysmal! I’ve never been able to understand how a brain that can cope
easily with the vagaries of English spelling and punctuation can be so
completely useless when asked to add two simple numbers. I’d love to excuse
myself by claiming I suffer from dyscalculia (number blindness) but the truth
is: I’m just plain rubbish at numbers!

Anyway,
back to stories.

My first attempt at serious writing happened
during the 80s. I decided to write a novel about unicorns. Not your twee ‘My
Little Pony’ type of unicorns, but wild, fierce creatures that were noble and
powerful. I got quite some way with this novel, tentatively titled ‘The Night
of the Haloed Moon’, but work and personal stuff eventually got in the way, and
the creative juices dried up. I still have it somewhere – maybe one day I will
dig it out and have another go!

By this,
you can gather that Fantasy is my ‘thing’. Early favorite authors were Anne
McCaffrey, Elizabeth Goudge, C S Lewis, Joy Chant, and Peter S Beagle (yes,
unicorns again!). Then I discovered Lord Dunsany (more unicorns!) and J R R
Tolkien. These last two in particular influenced the kind of writer I wanted to
be. But it wasn’t until my husband and I came back to the UK after living in
Italy for three years that I found myself with enough free time to really
write.

My
triple-trilogy Artesans series came as a complete shock to me. I started by
writing out a tiny scene one day when I was bored, a scene inspired by an old
70s children’s TV series. No one was more shocked than me when, suddenly, all
this ‘stuff’ came flooding into my head, insisting I write it out! It was like
one of those old-fashioned computer-dumps, when the machine would go crazy and
spew out reams and reams of typed paper. Apart from the fact that I was (at
that time) using a pen, the outcome was the same. Now, ten years on from that
wonderful, frightening, intense, fantastic start, I now have a complete series
of nine fantasy books, of which King’s Artesan is the third. Book One is titled
King’s Envoy, and Book Two is King’s Champion, both published by Rhemalda
Publishing. We are in talks concerning the second trilogy, Circle of
Conspiracy, and the third, Master of Malice. I am hopeful that all will
eventually be published by Rhemalda. As they say: Watch this space!

King’s Envoy:

Taran Elijah’s quest for knowledge
uncovers a plot that threatens the world…

In
Albia, the Fourth Realm, the precious Artesan gift is dying. Although born to
the craft, Taran is struggling to achieve his potential. Against his friends’
advice, he embarks on a foolhardy plan to acquire the teaching he craves.
Alone, he crosses into Andaryon, the Fifth Realm, but instead of finding a
mentor, he stumbles upon a treacherous plot.

In
the wake of Taran’s actions, Albia suffers a series of vicious raids. Major
Sullyan of the High King’s forces is sent to oppose them. But a dark and
treacherous force is moving through the realms and both Taran and Sullyan will
feel its power.

Their craft, the lives of their friends, the very existence of their
realm are under threat unless they expose and oppose the evil.

King’s Champion:

After surviving brutal torture and escaping from Lord Rykan’s dungeons,
Major Sullyan is trapped in Andaryon, too injured to cross the Veils. Slowly
dying and determined to find some purpose in the shattered remains of her life,
she travels to the Andaryan capitol to offer the Hierarch her sword and Artesan
gifts in the fight against Rykan and his vast army. Because women hold no power
in Andaryon, Sullyan is met with prejudice, hostility, and suspicion.

Before she can seek vengeance on the field of battle, she must prove
herself to the Hierarch’s generals. Finding support from the unlikeliest
sources, Sullyan sets a plan in motion to defeat Lord Rykan and end his bid for
the throne. The fate of two realms depends on her success, but her strength is
fading fast, and time is running out.

King’s Artesan:

Unable
to purge herself of the poison that is slowly killing her, Major Sullyan
remains trapped in Andaryon. The only thing that can save her is the Staff,
which still lies buried in Taran’s cellar.

Robin Tamsen sets out on a desperate quest to recover the artifact, but
the enemy is two steps ahead of him. Sonten knows where the Staff is, and he
will stop at nothing to get it back. If he does, Sullyan’s life will be forfeit
and no Artesan will be safe.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

The twin Racers are still one of my favorite rides. First time I rode them many years ago, I was curled up in a ball on the floor of the car for most of the ride.

Next, we tried something a little slower.

All I can say.... They're still better than a Prius.

It didn't stay that slow for long.

It actually got slower. Waited in line for an hour, and then this ride broke down. It used to be "The Outer Limit", but Paramount sold the park and now it's called.... Who cares. It broke down and we wasted an hour.

Got moving again.

Something a little faster.

This truly is my favorite ride.

There was a kid in line behind me. He asked if I had ever ridden this one.
I said, "Yeah, a few times."
"What's it like?" he asked.
I smiled, and said, "Kid... It's the smoothest ride in the park."

Mine of course is an evil laugh, which I did all through the ride. After the ride I heard this little voice behind me.

"That wasn't smooth at all!"

Now to be perfectly clear. I never said it was a smooth ride. I said it was the smoothest ride in the park. Hehehe. Six loops, including a corkscrew horizontal spin. It is pure fun.

Then we moved onto something that was a lot faster.....

and bigger.... a lot bigger.

This is Diamond Back.....

I went up there.... Yippee.

I would like to say that I was the picture of calm, but unfortunately... I have witnesses that will testify to the contrary.